Humidifier unit for air ducts of warm air furnaces



HUMIDIFIER UNIT FOR AIR DUCTS OF WARM AIR FURNACES Filed Jan. 28, 1965 F. MPAYNEA Aug. 8, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l Figurfi Aug. 8, 1967 F. M. PAYNE 3,334,877

HUMIDIFIER UNIT FOR AIR DUCTS OF WARM AIR FURNACES Filed Jan. 28, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 F'IGURE 2 F 0 3 INVENTOR United States Patent 3,334,377 HUMIDIFIER UNIT FUR Am DUCTS OF WARM AIR FURNACES Francis M. Payne, 4628 Columbia Road, Annandale, Va. 22003 Filed Jan. 28, 1965, Ser. No. 428,742 4 Claims. (Cl. 26171) This invention relates to improvements in residential humidifiers and more particularly to an improved automatic humidifier for use in air ducts of warm air furnaces.

A principal object of the present invention is to efficiently provide humidified air in such a manner that most of the air is also washed and filtered. Many humidifiers simply add moisture to the air, but this invention is different in that the humidifying action also cleans the air.

Another object of the invention is to provide more healthful air by removing considerable dust from the air by means of washable filters which also catch the excess droplets of water from the spray.

Another object of the invention and an improvement which makes it different from other humidifiers is the provision of a backwash, which can be operated periodically to flush and clean the filter material without the necessity of removing the humidifier unit from the duct.

This invention is'produced in various sizes and with various numbers of nozzles to adapt to the different sizes of air ducts and to the size of the area to be humidified. This humidifier can be mounted in either the heated air duct or the return air duct.

These and other objects will appear as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view showing the humidifier mounted in an air duct.

FIGURE 2 is a side sectional view showing the unit and its components mounted in an air duct. Arrows indicate direction of air flow.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse sectional view showing the unit with multiple nozzles and indicating the water connections of the backwash. I

Referring to the drawing, an air duct 11 is shown in plan view in FIGURE 1. The humidifier unit is mounted from underneath and into said air duct 11.

As shown in FIGURE 2, the flow of air, the direction indicated by arrows, enters through the proximate section of the filter material 10. Said air passes thence through the fine water spray emitted by the nozzle 8, thence the air passes through the posterior filter material 10, so that excess droplets of water are caught by the filter material and drip into the drainage pan 1. In passing through the filters 10 and through the water spray, a large portion of the air is thus humidified, washed and filtered.

This humidifier unit is constructed in different sizes to adapt to the various sizes of air ducts. The humidifier unit does not completely fill the duct 11, but allows a certain percentage of by-pass air to prevent restricting the air flow to any degree. The number of nozzles 8 used,

. whether it be one or more as in FIGURE 3, is varied to provide an adequate water mist for the size of the humidifier unit. Also, the nozzles are provided in various output capacities to provide an adequate mist for the size of the humidifier unit or the size of the area to be humidified. The base of the humidifier unit consists of a drainage pan 1 constructed with a mounting flange for attaching to the bottom of the air duct 11. A suitable nozzle 8 or nozzles 8 are mounted on a pipe, which enters through the bottom of the drainage pan 1. A rubber gasket prevents leakage where the nozzle pipe enters drainage pan 1.

The nozzle 8 is inclined at an angle and provides a fine ice water mist up and into the flow of air. The nozzle 8 is connected to the water supply line 7. The flow of water into the nozzle 8 is actuated by a solenoid valve 2 connected electrically 4 through a humistat 12 to the fan circuit of the furnace, so that the spray operates only when the furnace fan is operating. The humistat 12 is located in the return air duct of the furnace.

The nozzle 8 and ensuing spray are enclosed by a rectangular frame 9 attached to the drainage pan 1. Said frame 9 is covered entirely by washable filter material 10. Said frame 9 is constructed of hollow tubing which is perforated at intervals and at various angles. Said tubing is connected to the water supply line 5 with a suitable valve 6, so that said frame 9 acts as a backwash, which can be operated periodically to flush off dirt from the filter material 10 without the removal of the humidifier unit from its mounting in the air duct 11.

Two drains 3 are installed at opposite ends of the drainage pan 1 and are joined underneath drainage pan 1 with a T connection; and thence drainage is discharged to a suitable drain. The dual drains 3 provide adequate drainage regardless of angle of pitch of various air ducts. The two drains 3 also serve as a safety factor in case of dirt in drainage pan 1 stopping up either drain.

All components of the humidifier unit are fabricated of rustproof materials.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A humidifier for use with a warm air heating system having an air duct, which humidifier comprises: a drainage pan having a drain opening and being mounted in the bottom of the air duct; a frame mounted above the drainage pan and extending into the air duct; washable air-filtering material covering the frame and forming an enclosure with the drainage pan; at least one water spray nozzle located within the enclosure and positioned to spray a mist of water toward the upstream end of the enclosure and into the flow of air passing through the enclosure; a water supply pipe connected to the nozzle; and control means for automatically controlling the flow of water to the supply pipe.

2. The humidifier of claim 1, wherein the control means comprises a solenoid-actuated valve that is connected to the water supply pipe for the nozzle and to an electric circuit, including a humistat.

3. The humidifier of claim 1, wherein the frame is a perforated hollow tubing, and in which the humidifier includes a second water supply pipe connected to the tubular frame and valve means connected to the second water supply' pipe for controlling the flow of water to the frame to periodically clean the filter material.

4. The humidifier of claim 3, in which the frame comprises a pair of substantially parallel spaced and perforated tubular members, and at least one perforated tubular conduit interconnecting the members remote from the drainage pan to form a box-like structure.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,495,538 1/1950 Mousel 261-105 2,633,929 4/ 1953 Farr.

2,681,217 6/1954 Pennington et al. 26198 3,021,831 2/1962 Byrge.

3,102,531 9/1963 Gross.

3,119,887 1/1964 Baehr.

FOREIGN PATENTS 679,647 2/1964 Canada.

HARRY B. THORNTON, Primary Examiner.

TIM R. MILES, Examiner. 

1. A HUMIDIFIER FOR USE WITH A WARM AIR HEATING SYSTEM HAVING AN AIR DUCT, WHICH HUMIDIFIER COMPRISES: A DRAINAGE PAN HAVING A DRAIN OPENING AND BEING MOUNTED IN THE BOTTOM OF THE AIR DUCT; A FRAME MOUNTED ABOVE THE DRAINAGE PAN AND EXTENDING INTO THE AIR DUCT; WASHABLE AIR FILTERING MATERIAL COVERING THE FRAME AND FORMING AN ENCLOSURE WITH THE DRAINAGE PAN; AT LEAST ONE WATER SPRAY NOZZLE LOCATED WITHIN THE ENCLOSURE AND POSITIONED TO SPRAY A MIST OF WATER TOWARD THE UPSTREAM END OF THE ENCLOSURE AND INTO THE FLOW OF AIR PASSING THROUGH THE ENCLOSURE; A WATER SUPPLY PIPE CONNECTED TO THE NOZZLE; AND CONTROL MEANS FOR AUTOMATICALLY CONTROLLING THE FLOW OF WATER TO THE SUPPLY PIPE. 